Inlet or outlet

[Blaugh]

I know variants of this question have been asked before however

I have a Biomaster 600 which has a inbuilt prefilter and considering attaching my UP Inline Atomizer CO2 Diffuser to the intake to increase dispersal as currently experiencing a slight misty haze in the water

Obvious concern in the welfare of the filter however my thought process is that the prefilter may mitigate any issues

All advise appreciated

 

[Franks]

At least try the inlet first. It's the best method to gain as much efficiency as possible and not waste gas to atmosphere. How you then develop a permanent method of diffusion is up to you but it's important to see if your filter can firstly cope with Co2 injection without burping all the gas out in large quantities every minute or so.

I've tried inline diffusion, in-tank atomisers etc and come full circle. For me, in-tank atomiser is the best method with the filter outlet positioned so that the flow pushes the Co2 bubbles down and across the floor of the tank as per the usual ADA method.

Inconsistencies can occur too easily with in-line diffusers and flow for instance when water level drops and more Co2 begins to creep out of the water column prematurely leading to Co2 level fluctuations and in turn - BBA outbreaks.

 

[zozo]

What you can run into with injecting CO² into the inlet is a burping filter. Since all CO² has to pass through all the filter media.. We have little control over how this actualy works out, it might help disolve it beter, it might slowly accumulate and trap bubbles that eventualy rise and collect at the top in the impeller housing. Than since the pumps are not self priming, the impeller will turn in a gass bubble stop displacing water, loosing pressure and water will syphon back down from the outlet hose back into the pump. And than the impeller gets water again and pushes the buble out with a Burp.

If this is happening you should be causious with it, because it depends on the size of the gas bubble if the pump will be able to push it out again. If it can't the impeller will run dry to long building up heat and extra wear. And it can cost pumps lifespan it needs water for lubrication.. If it happens over night when everybody is snorring you might wake up looking at a burned out pump.

This migh be prevented from happening by looking closly at the pump where its outlet is situated, if its for example in the top centre from the canister. Than make sure the pump is absolute level to prevent large gas bubbles forming at the top.

This is a somewhat exaggerated diagram of a cannister not level. But i guess you get the idea. Gass builds up and than releases bubbles into the impeller housing.

Bubbles make the pump burp, bubbles big enough can make the pump stop displacing water and run dry.

Search for Burping Pumps and you'll find some threads about it, even on non co² tanks pumps can burp from gassious accumulation. Than pumping extra gas in, makes the chances of it happening greater.

Larger bubbles can also be trapped in the media and suddenly release if it gets heavy enough.. Gas bubbles have a tension and need to build up before they release. This you can also see with oxygen bubbles under/on plant leaves. It all accumulates to a certain volume before it pops off ad rises to the surface.

 

[Andrew Butler]

the intake

I will refer to the flow (intake) as water on its way from the aquarium to the filter and the return to be water from the filter back up to the aquarium - it always seems wrong and know many get confused like myself but I'm sure this is the correct.
I assume you are currently running with the inline diffuser on the return which as @zozo explains above is the most 'reliable' method. In addition if you were to move the diffuser to the flow (intake) you would also open yourself up for the ceramic inside the diffuser becoming dirtier much sooner and when it clogs does not perform as well along with reducing its lifespan.
People like George Farmer used to run CO2 on the flow like you are proposing and there is a thread on here showing it but I can't find it - I'm quite sure he says exactly what Marcel and myself with the reasons it didn't work out.

I think you will find it hard to rid yourself of a misty haze no matter what you do but known ways to diffuse CO2 more include:
-move the diffuser as near as you can to your filter
-use a CO2 reactor such as this Aqua Medic one (I notice you are new so click on the words Aqua Medic and it should take you to a link)
-adding a DIY reactor
-fitting your inline diffuser then adding a vessel to act like a reactor to further dissolve things after this thread from @Zeus. should help explain better.

Be aware any of the methods above that include adding a reactor of any kind to your filter will put extra pressure on it and reduce flow in my experience.
I'd maybe try cleaning the diffuser as sometimes that causes them to not work as efficiently and moving it as close to the filter return as you can. It's worth having 2x diffusers so you can leave one soaking and be able to add another without waiting.

According to CO2art:
Soak the diffuser in 4(water):1(bleach) solution for several hours. Next rinse with water to remove chlorine.
https://www.co2art.eu/pages/support#reamaze#0#/kb/questions/how-to-clean-inline-co2-diffuser

 

[zozo]

I'm sorry, it's not the first time i read about this confusement about in and out from a filter. I geuss the hobby seems to be devided into 2 camps yet not having a consensus over what's in and out on an aqaurium filter.

As a technician i always look at it from the logical devices perspective, at the arrow on the device to determine in and out. Where the arrow points to is out the opposite is obvioulsy in. But i can understand the confusement in the hobby looking at it from the non technical aqaurium perspective than the filters output is indeed the aqauriums invironmental input.

As said i'm a technician, i'm not sure if i ever get used to it. For me it's the same as looking at a car engine with an Exhaust. Tho i yet never met a non technical driver name that the invironmental input. But it is..

Next time when such a topic about in and out from a filter comes up.. I'll try not to forget and ask before i share my story.

 

[Andrew Butler]

I'm sorry, it's not the first time i read about this confusement about in and out from a filter. I geuss the hobby seems to be devided into 2 camps yet not having a consensus over what's in and out on an aqaurium filter.

As a technician i always look at it from the logical devices perspective, at the arrow on the device to determine in and out. Where the arrow points to is out the opposite is obvioulsy in. But i can understand the confusement in the hobby looking at it from the non technical aqaurium perspective than the filters output is indeed the aqauriums invironmental input.

As said i'm a technician, i'm not sure if i ever get used to it. For me it's the same as looking at a car engine with an Exhaust. Tho i yet never met a non technical driver name that the invironmental input. But it is..

Next time when such a topic about in and out from a filter comes up.. I'll try not to forget and ask before i share my story.

I know you read about people calling it the opposite myself included; I think it's as the return from the filter is the flow into the aquarium.
You are completely right though talking about a filter that the input is the flow and the output is the return - why could they not come up with different titles to make things easier?
It's not just me that gets confused or know which descriptor to use is it?

 

[Franks]

I’ve gone from running 30psi via inline over a JBL to in tank atomiser under the inlet to intank atomiser under the outlet spraybar. All yielded a green drop checker and not much pearling. I then moved the outlet spraybar to the right, the inlet pickup to the back middle and the intank atomiser to the bottom left. (Classic ADA style). The downwash from the spraybar at the other end pushes all the co2 across the floor. It’s so even now - it seriously looks like 7-up!

The plants now pearl profusely and the drop checker goes yellow and nearly clear! Fish are all great with no gasping and the co2 remains at 30psi. The DC was even placed on the furthest bottom corner from the co2 - an area I’d imagine was a bit of a dead zone but is clearly not.

Flow and even distribution of gas is crucial imo. It’s probably why you see so many pro’s use in tank atomisers.

 

[zozo]

I know you read about people calling it the opposite myself included; I think it's as the return from the filter is the flow into the aquarium.
You are completely right though talking about a filter that the input is the flow and the output is the return - why could they not come up with different titles to make things easier?
It's not just me that gets confused or know which descriptor to use is it?

Well in reality, the tank itself is just a stagnant container filled with water.. On itself it Lets nor Takes it does virtualy nothing without a pump installed.

But the pump/filter has an Intake and an Outlet, than for the tank this would indeed be an Inlet but an Outtake?

From a technical view point i'm always used to look at the apparatus/verb that performs the action, not the direct object it is acting upon.

I guess its in a twist of words and what's gramaticaly correct? I'm not even always 100% gramaticaly correct in my mother language and this is not English.
Than using Dutch gramar in English often is called Dunglish.

 

[Andrew Butler]

I guess its in a twist of words and what's gramaticaly correct? I'm not even always 100% gramaticaly correct in my mother language and this is not English.
Than using Dutch gramar in English often is called Dunglish.

I am usually quite fluent in 'Duncish'

Well in reality, the tank itself is just a stagnant container filled with water.. On itself it Lets nor Takes it does virtualy nothing without a pump installed.

But the pump/filter has an Intake and an Outlet, than for the tank this would indeed be an Inlet but an Outtake?

I completely agree with you.